


Second Chances

by MeridianPurified



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: Oblivion Main Quest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22602082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeridianPurified/pseuds/MeridianPurified
Summary: Kal-Rei arrives at Cloud Ruler Temple and meets the one man willing to give her a second chance
Kudos: 1





	Second Chances

Varinal stared into the mirror tiredly. His eyes were dark and bagged and he felt like he was mere moments away from collapsing.

It had been 3 days since he had escaped the Imperial City prisons. From there he had gone to Weynon Priory, to Kvatch, where he had fought the Daedra and fended them off, then back to Weynon Priory and finally here, to Cloud Ruler Temple. Over the past 72 hours, he had slept for 3, maybe 4 at most.

He had shed his armour and put his battle axe down across the room. He practically collapsed into his bed and sighed. He would be asleep in mere moments, and hopefully he would get some much needed rest, now that Martin was safe someone else could handle the important do or die tasks.

Except, Varinal did not get the sleep he do desperately craved, instead he was disturbed by a loud commotion downstairs in the foyer of Cloud Ruler Temple. Varinal groaned and rubbed his eyes and swung himself out of bed. At this point he was beginning to accept he would never sleep again.

He descended the stairs into the foyer. He blinked hard, wondering if he was starting to hallucinate from lack of sleep.

Across the foyer a black scaled Argonian in blacker robes was being restrained by the Blades. There were jeers of “assassin!” coming from the Blades as they tied the Argonians together.

Varinal walked over to the crowd and pushed his way to the front, one Blade was holding his katana to the Argonians throat while his cohorts cheered.

“Enough!” Varinal grabbed the Blade by the collar of his armour and shoved him away from the Argonian. “What the hell is going on here?” He demanded.

“That Argonian is an assassin! Sent here for Martin!” One of the Blades yelled.

“I am n-!” The Argonian started but her words were quickly drowned out by the angry mob.

“We took these weapons from her.” One of the Blades gestured to a bow and a dagger on the table. “She was here to harm someone.”

“And you didn’t think to question her?” Varinal asked. “You just went right to the execution based on your assumptions?”

The Blades fell silent at that. Varinal rubbed his eyes. “Fine, I’ll handle this.” He gripped the Argonian by her bound wrists and pulled her to her feet.

Varinal had only been at this temple for a couple hours, he didn’t know where anything was, so he led her to his room.

He sat the Argonian down in a chair and went over to his dresser, taking out an iron dagger he kept in the top drawer.

He turned back to the Argonian and she flinched when she saw the dagger.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Varinal said gently, he walked over to the Argonian and took her wrists in his hand, cutting the binds off of her.

The Argonian rubbed her wrists and looked at Varinal as he took a seat opposite of her.

“Who are you?” Varinal asked.

The Argonian looked down. “Kal-Rei…” She murmured.

“Varinal.” He replied. “What are you doing here, Kal-Rei?”

Kal-Rei shook her head. “You won’t trust me.”

Varinal blinked. “What do you want?” He asked.

“I want.. I want to help fight the Oblivion Crisis!” Kal-Rei looked at him. “I have to.”

Varinal nodded. “That’s good, we’ll need all the help we can get.”

Kal-Rei looked at him. She had to tell him. She needed to get it off her chest.

“I’m.. I was an assassin. For the Dark Brotherhood.” She gulped as his expression changed.

“So they were right?” Varinal asked, gesturing to the door with his head.

“No! No! I’m not an assassin anymore I swear!” Kal-Rei protested desperately. “I-I came here because I couldn’t live like that anymore. Please, I need this second chance! I need to be better than I was.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “Please, I can’t stand being the person that I’ve been.”

Varinal tilted his, sympathy flooding his expression. He stood up and walked over to her. He put his hand on her shoulder. “You’re trying to change. I appreciate that, thank you for telling me.”

“Please let me stay, Varinal let me help. This is my only chance to redeem myself.” She looked up at him, desperation layered her face and words.

“Alright, I believe you. You can stay here.” Varinal nodded.

Kal-Rei almost didn’t believe it. Why did this man trust her so readily? Especially when all his allies were so quick to try and kill her.

“I’m not a good person, Varinal…”

“You’re trying to change, it’s okay, I believe in you.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. She brushed them away quickly. “Thank you, thank you so much.” She whispered.

Varinal looked at the door. “You probably should stay in here tonight. It wont be safe for you anywhere else.”

Kal-Rei nodded in understanding. “I don’t mind sleeping on a bedroll.”

Varinal shook his head. “Take my bed, it’s fine.”

“Oh, I.. are you sure?” Kal-Rei asked, looking over at his bed.

Varinal nodded and Kal-Rei sat in his bed, swinging her legs up into it. “Thank you, Varinal.” She turned back to the Imperial, but he was already asleep his chair, arms folded across his chest and head lent down.

Kal-Rei blinked. That was fast. She got under the covers and pulled them up around herself. Despite how tense her arrival to the temple had been she felt safe on account of Varinal’s presence, safe enough to fall asleep without worry.


End file.
